My husband's great grandmother Eleanor/Ellen Hollingsworth was born in Arklow c 1873. She married Gilbert Francis Hill 17 July 1901, St Marks Church Dublin. They subsequently moved to Norwich in England where he came from. From the certificate we can tell that her father was Edward Hollingsworth a farmer.
It would appear that Eleanor (as she was later known) is the daughter of Edward Hollingsworth and Sarah Freeman of Rock Big born as Ellen 9 June 1873. I have been able to piece together most of their family from available births and census. It seems that Ellen had 7 siblings.
Going back beyond Edward is proving a little tricky. He died in 1885 aged 63 so was born c1822 and we know his father was John. His mother's name has so far defeated us.
John died in 1864 aged 85 so born c 1779. There is plenty of speculation on his ancestry including a possible connection to the Spottiswoode millions but I am finding it difficult to track down anything conclusive.
Are there any suggestions on where to look next and perhaps even better is there anyone else chasing this particular line?
Thank you
bwarnes
Thursday 18th Apr 2013, 02:47PMMessage Board Replies
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Hello Barbara,
You could try checking the land records called the Tithe Applotment Books (1823-38) http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/home.jsp or the later Griffith's Valuation (1848-64) http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
The Tithe Applotment List might be of use to you, or at least interesting for you. These lists constitute the only nationwide survey for the period, and are valuable because the heaviest burden of the tithes to the Established Church, the Church of Ireland, fell on the poorest, for whom few other records survive. The information in the Tithes is quite basic, typically consisting of townland name, landholder's name, area of land and tithes payable. Many Books also record the landlord's name and an assessment of the economic productivity of the land. The tax payable was based on the average price of wheat and oats over the seven years up to 1823, and was levied at a different rate depending on the quality of land. For Parishes where the registers do not begin until after 1850, this information can be useful, as they are often the only surviving early records. They can provide valuable circumstantial evidence, especially where a holding passed from father to son in the period between the Tithe survey and Griffith's Valuation.
Best regards Michael.
Michael Browne
Friday 19th Apr 2013, 02:54PM